


Miss Kitty Fantastico

by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)



Series: Imagine Tony & Bucky [25]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Kittens, M/M, Rescue Animal, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 13:41:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3694376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqen_hgar/pseuds/Finely%20Honed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">Prompt: Imagine Bucky finding a tiny stray kitten one day and bringing it to the tower. He thinks Tony will be mad, assuming Tony doesn't like pets. Tony LOVES animals, especially cats. So when he sees the adorable little calico kitten Bucky brings home he falls in love with it and with Bucky Barnes all over again (and of course Tony would get the kitten a red and gold collar and make the tag a red star). AND kaci1ynn asked: Imagine Bucky finds a kitten in really bad shape. Tony & JARVIS find the best vet. Get the kit cleaned up & meds & the leg has to be amputated. Tony makes a prosthetic like Bucky’s. Happy fam. Kit sleeps between them :)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>"Remind me not to go drinking with you anymore," Clint whined, rotating his shoulder, trying to work the kinks out. "Have you ever tried <em>not</em> getting into a bar fight?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miss Kitty Fantastico

"Remind me not to go drinking with you anymore," Clint whined, rotating his shoulder, trying to work the kinks out. "Have you ever tried  _not_  getting into a bar fight?”

Bucky just laughed at this, ready with a smart assed answer, but movement from his left caught his attention. Clint’s eyes widened and he groaned, but it wasn’t one of the troublemakers they’d rumbled with. A tiny, furry face was peeking out from under some garbage, obviously curious over the newcomers.

"Hey, kitty," Bucky called, crouching down. The kitten mewed pathetically, tried to move but stopped, and Bucky’s stomach clenched. "What’s wrong, котенок?"

"Okay, this looks bad," Clint muttered. "Look at its leg, Buck. Think it got hit by a car?"

The calico kitten was definitely in bad shape, one of its little legs held at an unnatural angle. It was a total mess, appeared far too skinny, making Bucky wonder when it’d last eaten.

"See, it was a fortuitous bar fight," Bucky declared as he carefully lifted the kitten into his arms. "Don’t worry, котенок, we’re the good guys."

"Little cat needs a vet," Clint said, pulling out his phone. He did some fiddling, cursing the maps app under his breath, before Bucky pulled out his own phone.

Tony answered almost immediately. “Did you get in another bar fight?”

"Wha?" was all Bucky had time to say.

"Damn it, he did," Tony called over his shoulder, and from somewhere out of sight of the camera, Bucky heard Steve laughing. "I just lost a bet because of you, hope you’re happy."

Bucky opened his mouth to protest, but the kitten made another pathetic distressed noise, reminding him of why he’d called in the first place. “Tony, I need a vet, preferably one that’s nearby, and actually open at this hour.”

Tony’s face scrunched up, and Bucky’s spirits sank a bit. Tony didn’t seem the type to like animals, especially ones found in the garbage in an alleyway. “Sorry, but the little guy…”

"Hang on," Tony interrupted, "what kind of animal? Some places don’t handle exotics."

Bucky moved the phone until Tony could see the little kitten, and watched in surprise as Tony’s face transformed. His eyes went all wide, and his jaw fell open, brows drawing up in concern. “Awwww, kitty! Don’t worry, we’ll get you help. JARVIS just sent coordinates to you and Clint. I’ll give the emergency vet a heads up you’re on your way in. Do you need transport?”

"No, looking at this it’s probably quicker if we walk. Thanks, Tony. Don’t wait up."

"Are you kidding me? I’m meeting you there," Tony said before hanging up.

Which, interesting. Maybe Tony didn’t hate animals after all? Bucky looked down at the pathetic little furball in his arms, hopeful that he’d get to keep him.

+

"I hate waiting,” Tony grumbled, hissing as he took another sip of the absolutely awful black sludge that was being passed off as coffee in the waiting area. He shuddered as he swallowed it, and Bucky snatched the paper cup away from him and threw it out. “Aww!”

“You’re not going to have a stomach lining left, drinking that swill.”

Tony folded his arms across his chest, knee bopping up and down as he pouted, and wiggled around in his chair. “How long does it take to fix a cat?”

“Always feels like forever in these places,” Clint moaned. “I dunno how vets do it, man. Sick and injured animals? Soul crushing.”

Tony flopped theatrically in the waiting room chair, pulling his phone out again. “True, true,” he muttered. “And this place is depressing as hell, which isn’t helping. The vets are top rated, though.”

Bucky managed to sneak a look at Tony’s phone before he brought it to his ear, and sighed. “Why are you calling Pepper at this hour?”

“I’m not allowed to just give large sums of money to places without,” Tony began to explain, stopping as Pepper answered the phone. “Heyyyyy, Pep, sorry about the… Yeah. Mm hm. Yes, I know, but… Well, actually, I’m only doing what  _you_  told me, so this is  _your_ fault.”

Tony made a face and some hand gestures to go with it, then took his call outside so as not to bother the other two people haunting the waiting room. Bucky and Clint shrugged at each other, then continued the waiting game.

+

“Of course, that’s if you’re even willing…”

“Why wouldn’t we be willing?” Bucky snapped, jerking as Clint and Tony each placed a hand on him.

The vet sighed, and began cleaning her glasses. “You’d be surprised how many of the animals that come in here wind up going home with one of the vets or techs,” she explained, sliding her glasses back onto her face. “Some people just can’t afford it, and others aren’t willing to offer the proper love and support required for an animal to recover from something like an amputation.”

Tony’s fingers dug into Bucky’s shoulder, while Clint’s slid away. “We’re willing,” Tony answered calmly.

“Ready, willing, and able,” Clint seconded.

The vet smiled at this, and the last of the tension left Bucky’s body. “Sorry, it’s just,” he shrugged, then knocked on his left arm. The vet’s eyes widened, but there was understanding there. “Touchy subject.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she said, and Bucky felt bad for yelling as he watched her stroke the kitten’s little head. “You learn not to get your hopes up, working here. We’ll proceed with the surgery then. He’s receiving fluids, and we’ve cleaned him up, given him something for the pain, so he’ll be comfortable. Is there a name we can put in his file?”

“Professor Pizza!”

“No,” Tony and Bucky said in unision.

“Just put ‘Miss Kitty Fantastico’ for now,” Tony suggested. “We’ll debate later.”

Bucky cleared his throat. “It’s a boy cat?”

“Didn’t realize you were so closed minded,” Tony huffed.

“Just, fine, put that,” Bucky agreed, raising his hands in surrender. He saw the smile creep across Tony’s face out of the corner of his eye, and felt his chances of keeping the little guy had just increased significantly.

+

Bucky woke up to a whirlwind of action. There were cat toys, cat supplies, cat everythings, everywhere, almost like a pet store had exploded in their living room. “What?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning.” Tony’s head popped up from behind the couch, a smile firmly in place. “Just getting ready for Miss Kitty Fantastico!”

Bucky pressed his lips together, swallowing his laughter. He’d seen Tony excited many a time since coming to the Tower, but this was the first he’d seen him little kid excited. “So, I take it you like cats?”

“I love cats! Well, I love most animals, but I was never allowed to have one, growing up. Then… you know,” he shrugged, some of the excitement sliding off his face. “Once I was old enough to make my own decisions, I wasn’t particularly great at taking care of myself.”

Bucky shuffled over, plopped himself down on the couch, and beckoned Tony over. As soon as he was close enough, Bucky grabbed him by the wrist and pulled Tony onto his lap, wrapped him up tight. “We’ll make sure he’s taken good care of.”

“Naturally,” Tony agreed, squirming closer. “Clint wants visitation.”

“I’m sure we can share.”

Tony cleared his throat. “I was thinking about what the vet said. Maybe everyone needs cats. Or other animals. Steve likes dogs, right?”

Bucky sighed. “I’ve created a monster, haven’t I?”

Tony just laughed, and whispered, “I love you,” distractingly against Bucky’s ear.

+

It shouldn’t have surprised him that Tony had the little boy cat kitted out with a red and gold collar, complete with a tracking device, camera and communicator a week into Miss Kitty Fantastico coming to live with them. He didn’t seem to mind, though, strutting around with his head held high, although some of that might have been due to the cone he had to wear while he was still healing.

+

When they went to the veterinarian’s for Miss Kitty Fantastico’s follow up appointment, Bucky couldn’t help but notice the signs announcing the upcoming construction and changes, all thanks to an anonymous donor.

+

“Look how smart he is,” Tony declared, as Miss Kitty Fantastico destroyed aliens like a champ in the holographic game Tony had designed for him. “He’s going to rule the universe.”

The scary thing was, Tony was probably right. The cat was as smart as he was adorable, seemed to be adjusting just fine to life with three legs, his age possibly working to his advantage. He and Tony were practically inseparable, the kitty spending a great deal of time down in the workshop, or curled in Tony’s lap, or snuggled between the two of them when they slept at night.

+

“I’m working on a cat to human translator,” Tony announced over dinner one night. Steve caught Bucky’s eye as Clint and Tony began babbling excitedly over the possibility of talking with animals, and it took all of Bucky’s self control not to snort his soup through his nose.

+

“Alright, time for geniuses and little boy cats to come to bed,” Bucky said, popping down into the workshop. Tony was snoozing on the couch, Miss Kitty Fantastico sprawled on his stomach, now sporting a familiar looking, shiny new leg.

Unable to help himself, Bucky snapped a photo, made it his new phone wallpaper, then carefully scooped up Tony without dislodging Miss Kitty Fantastico, and carried them off to bed. Tony made some happy sleepy noises, snuggled closer, wrapping a protective arm around their little friend.

“M’glad you got in that bar fight,” Tony muttered.

“Me too,” Bucky agreed.

“Best boyfriend ever.”

The little boy cat meowed his agreement, and Bucky smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Shoulda named him Professor Pizza. Just sayin'
> 
>  **UPDATED NOTE:** I know nothing about cats, aside from the fact that they make my eyes swell up, and my nose run. I wrote this story with the cat being a boy, because it is funny. As you'll see in the comments, apparently calicos are almost always females? *shrug* Oops? Thanks to those of you who took the time to point this out, because that's quite interesting! But, I don't feel like changing the story to fit reality, so we're going to pretend Bucky found the one bro-calico. ;D


End file.
